Preparing for Spinal Fusion Surgery

What can you do to prepare for a back surgery?

You can do yourself a huge favor by exercising and being physically active before your surgery. Daily stretches, stomach crunches, and leg stretches are all examples of exercises that help you heal faster and recover more easily. Exercising is also a great way to relieve the stress that may be building up inside you.

In the months or weeks before your surgery, it is very important to maintain a positive attitude. Try not to dwell on what is ahead. Have as much fun as you can, safely. Stay active, keep busy, and most of all, don't feel sorry for yourself! Try to think of things to do that you may not be able to do right after your surgery. Some suggestions include swimming, horseback riding, water park slides, roller coaster rides, rollerblading, ice skating, dancing, golfing, and driving. The night before your procedure, you may want to spend some time by yourself. It will be awhile before anyone lets you do something by yourself again.

Donating Blood Before Your Surgery

It is normal to lose blood during surgery. The surgeons will use multiple advances in medicine to reduce the blood loss during surgery, despite the use of this technology, some patients will require blood transfusions during hospitalizations. There are different ways of preparing blood donations for your surgery:

  • You may donate your own blood before your surgery (lots of kids and teens do this!).
  • Your family or friends can donate their blood for you.
  • You may get blood from the blood bank here at the hospital.

To donate blood prior to the surgery, please refer to OneBlood at www.oneblood.org or call 954-777-264 for locations, hours of operation and to schedule an appointment online. As a reminder, please take the prescription for blood donation with you to the donor center.

Medications

To decrease the risk of excessive bleeding during surgery, you will be asked to avoid taking aspirin-containing medications or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleeve) starting at two weeks prior to surgery. You may not resume taking these medications again until instructed by the surgeon.

 
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